1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to communication systems and, more particularly, is directed toward a TV signal system adapted to be utilized in a hotel or similar lodging establishment wherein a plurality of TV receivers are located in the individual rooms and are adapted to receive any one of a number of TV programs via either a cable distribution network or an antenna distribution system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is today quite common for a hotel or other similar lodging establishment to provide each guest room with a TV receiver. The programs which may be viewed on such receivers are of the normal broadcast variety which originate at a TV network or station located externally of the lodging facility. The facility may be equipped either with a master antenna for receiving off-air broadcast signals, or a cable for receiving cable TV signals. The master antenna or cable is then fed through an internal TV signal distribution system by means of which each guest may select a particular channel or program for viewing on his individual TV receiver.
It has come to my attention that the owners of such hotel establishments or the like would find it highly desirable if some means could be provided whereby a locally generated commercial message could be displayed on the TV receivers located in each guest's room. Such locally generated audio/visual messages could consist, for example, of commercial information subscribed to by local merchants. Alternatively, the owner of the hotel establishment may wish to bring to the attention of the guests the availability of services or facilities within his own establishment, which otherwise the guest may not be aware of. Also, such locally generated messages may consist of product information subscribed to by national marketing or manufacturing organizations or the like.
In order to make such information available on the regular TV receivers located in each room of the establishment, the locally generated signals must be developed in any of the plurality of frequencies tunable on a given receiver in order that the message can be received on the receiver regardless of which channel the receiver is tuned to. Further, it would be highly desirable if some means could be provided whereby the locally generated messages would override or interrupt the remotely generated TV signals during periodic intervals and for predetermined times when the remotely generated TV signals are carrying their normal commercial messages. Some means is also desired for permitting an owner or operator of the system to locally interrupt the normal remotely generated TV signal at any given time for any given length of time, as may be desired.
Although I am aware of several prior art United States Patents which relate to this general area (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,628,275; 3,244,809; 3,796,829; 3,916,091; and 4,035,838), in my opinion such systems are unduly complex and expensive, and do not lend themselves to easy adaptation within existing hotel TV signal distribution systems. It is toward overcoming these disadvantages and achieving the above and later noted objects that the present invention is advanced.